Culebra Added to Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has added a traditional Culebra to the Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes brand. The Tabaquero Culebra was first introduced in early 2017 and used promotionally at in- store events featuring Hamlet himself. Yet the popularity and demand of this special “conversation starter” vitola – a shape that had previously never been crafted at any of Rocky Patel’s facilities – led to its addition to the Tabaquero lineup.

“When I first joined Rocky in 2015, I would roll a three foot giant culebra at my events, and people would be wowed” explained Paredes, who worked as a prominent Cuban cigar roller and blender for over 25 years. “We would raffle off the giant cigar, but it was not meant to be smoked. It could be smoked, but it was not meant for that. The giant culebra was meant to display in your man cave.

“Last year, I had more and more customers asking me for a culebra they could smoke, so that’s when we decided to add a smaller, traditional culebra for events. But after them, people were asking to buy them!”

The Tabaquero Culebra measures 8 inches in length, which is about 2 inches longer than the average culebra. It comes packaged in a red coffin with the three woven cigars held together with ribbon. Each box carries a suggested retail price of $36. The cigars are not meant to be sold individually.

Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes debuted at IPCPR in 2015. Handcrafted at Rocky Patel’s TaviCusa factory in Nicaragua, the Tabaquero portfolio now comprises Corona, Robusto, Robusto Grande, Toro, Salomon, Bala and Culebra.